<![CDATA[ Creative Bloq ]]>

<![CDATA[ Creative Bloq ]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/tag/disney Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +0000 en <![CDATA[ The HP Omen 35L for 2026 may be gaming-focused, but it delivers for creatives too ]]> The last time Creative Bloq reviewed an HP Omen 35L, it came in white and had an Intel processor. Not only is this year’s machine black, but there's an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D chip purring away inside, but it’s still the same liquid-cooled, reasonably compact tower gaming PC on the outside.

AMD’s X3D processors add extra cache memory underneath the compute die (older revisions stacked it on top) which cuts down on memory latency by allowing the CPU to store more information locally instead of having to reach out to the system RAM. This has benefits for gaming, but also boosts repetitive operations in photo editing and compilation speeds when coding. The 9800X3D is one of AMD’s best chips from its current generation, so let’s see how it stacks up.

Key specifications

CPU:	AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
NPU:	none
Graphics:	Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070Ti (16GB)
Memory:	32GB DDR5-6000 MT/s
Storage:	1TB SSD
Ports:	4x USB2, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x 2.5Gb Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm audio; 3x DisplayPort 2.1b and 1x HDMI 2.1b on graphics card
Wireless connectivity:	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Dimensions:	21 x 40.8 x 41 cm
Weight:	14.5 kg

Design, build and display

HP Omen 35L 2026 — (Image credit: Future / Ian Evenden)

• Well ventilated case
• Liquid cooling

The new black case is slightly different to last year’s white one. The two case fans at the front are now visible as they spin, their colour-changing lights shifting through the rainbow if you don’t fire up HP’s software to turn them off. It’s a nicely put together case, with a window at the side so you can see the CPU cooling pump, RAM sticks, and further case fans light up as well. The biggest thing inside the case is the GPU, which only uses white lights and sits inside a support housing. The cable routing is neat, with shields used to cover the sections where plugs enter the motherboard - a strangely prudish decision.

This isn’t a particularly high tower case, and is ideal for keeping on the floor beneath your desk. Do this, and the top-mounted power switch and USB ports come easily into reach - two Type-As and a Type-C are ready for flash drive and other peripherals, while a 3.5mm headphone socket means you won’t need to reach around the back of the casing every time you want to plug in.

Design score: 4/5

Features

• USB 3.2 at best
• One spare SSD slot

While the Omen 35L has enough connectivity to get by, there's nothing faster than 10Gbps here. Where most desktop motherboards sport two USB2 ports for a mouse and keyboard, this one has four, and while there are both Type-A and Type-C USB 3.2 ports on the backplate, there's also a lot of smooth plastic where you’d expect some more to be. One of the USBs is an always-on charging port, but there's no hint as to which one it is. At least you get a decent network connection, with Wi-Fi 7 and a 2.5Gb Ethernet port.

Inside, the CPU is liquid-cooled, with a 240mm radiator and two fans exhausting out of the top of the case. This keeps it nice and quiet, with a noticeable change in the fan noise when it starts working hard, but nothing particularly offensive. It does mean that, if you’re in the habit of stacking books, papers or a cat on top of your PC, you’d better change your ways unless you want thermal throttling or even shutdowns.

And while the AM5 platform should be good for Zen 6 and even 7 processors if you fancy dropping in a CPU upgrade in a few years, there are only two RAM slots, meaning you’ll have to purchase a complete upgrade kit if you want to boost it up to 64GB of memory (or the system max of 128GB) rather than getting 32GB more (hopefully once RAM prices have settled down a bit). At 6,000MT/s, however, the two 16GB sticks currently filling the slots are in the sweet spot for the 9800X3D, so they’re not adding extra latency, and using four memory slots can make the motherboard’s memory controller to drop to a lower speed, so it’s actually a sensible choice. There's a spare M.2 slot too, if you want to drop in an extra SSD, though you’ll have to remove the graphics card to do it. Finally, there's an unpopulated PCIe slot at the bottom of the motherboard, but it’s so close to the GPU shroud that it’s basically useless, with no space for a card to sit in it.

Feature score: 3/5

Benchmark scores

We test every one of our laptops using the same benchmarking software suite to give you a thorough overview of its suitability for creatives of all disciplines and levels. This includes:

• Geekbench: Tests the CPU for single-core and multi-core power, and the GPU for the system's potential for gaming, image processing, or video editing. Geekbench AI tests the CPU and GPU on a variety of AI-powered and AI-boosted tasks.
• Cinebench: Tests the CPU and GPU's ability to run Cinema 4D and Redshift.
• UL Procyon: Uses UL Solutions' Procyon software suite to test the system's ability for AI image generation in Stable Diffusion, its Microsoft Office performance and its battery life in a looping video test.
• Topaz Video AI: We use Topaz Video AI to test the system's ability to upscale video and convert video to slow-motion.
• PugetBench for Creators: We use the PugetBench for Creators benchmarking suite to test the system's ability to run several key tasks in Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro, as well as its performance when encoding/transcoding video.
• ON1 Resize AI: Tests the system's ability to resize 5 photos to 200% in a batch process. We take the total time taken to resize the images and divide by 5.

Performance

• Easily beats laptops in benchmarks
• Excellent for video work

So does the X3D cache memory make a difference for creative applications? It’s hard to tell without testing the Ryzen 7 9700X - essentially the same eight-core chip without the extra cache - alongside the 35L. Luckily, there are loads of Blender benchmarks that we can compare it to, and in Junkshop the 9700X scores 87, while the 35L’s 9800X3D manages 101. There's a similar pattern in Cinebench 2024, where the 9700X’s score of 1,119 in multi-core mode is bettered by the 9800X3D’s 1,283. These are not enormous differences, being in the region of 14%, but it’s clear the X3D chip is doing slightly more work. In the UK, and at the time of writing, the 9700X is 26% cheaper than the 9800X3D if you buy it as a standalone part, so the cost/benefit equation is going to depend on how much CPU rendering and/or gaming you’re going to be doing.

But this is a pre-built PC from a major manufacturer, and so there are many other parts that can affect its performance. Chief among these is the GPU, which comes with 16GB of GDDR7 and makes up almost a third of the overall cost of the system. It’s a superb card for 1440p or 4K gaming, and does well in creative apps too, with Topaz Video AI producing the highest score we’ve ever seen, beating even the RTX 5090 Laptop GPU in the Razer Blade 18 (despite having the same names, laptop versions of Nvidia cards are less powerful).

It doesn’t quite beat the Blade 18 in Cinebench 2026, coming in 3.5% behind in the GPU rendering test, which is still impressive considering that the laptop is almost twice the price. It also thumps the M5 Max version of the Mac Studio in Geekbench 6’s GPU workout - the only one that runs on both systems - by a whopping 49%, and that laptop costs even more than the Blade.

That’s the price of having a portable PC with this kind of power, and while you’re not going to be using the Omen 35L on the train - there's no space to move a mouse around in, for one thing - a desktop PC like this can be a better choice for a budget-savvy studio if you add a reasonably priced monitor.

Performance score: 4/5

Price

At £2599.99 or $3,199.99 the 35L as specced here is still quite a lot of money, and you have to factor in the cost of a monitor, mouse, keyboard, headset, flight stick, VR headset and sim-racing setup on top, but the 35L is probably a better buy than a Blade 18 or an M5 Max MacBook Pro if you’re not going to be taking it anywhere.

Value score: 3/5

Who is it for?

• Pixel junkies

While it might not be the most powerful desktop PC ever made, the HP Omen 35L is certainly extremely capable, and will appeal to renderers, gamers, video editors and anyone who wants a lot of PC without needing it to be portable.

HP Omen 35L (2026) score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Design:	Compactish tower case with RGB fans.	4/5
Features:	Lacks USB4 and much internal upgrade potential.	3/5
Performance:	Very fast in rendering and video editing.	4/5
Value:	Less than some laptops, but still a lot of cash.	3/5

Buy it if...

You don’t want a laptop
You don’t mind shelling out for a monitor
You have the space

Don't buy it if...

You’d rather have an all-in-one system
Thunderbolt is a necessity
As is portability

Also consider

Acer

Predator Orion 7000

Unapologetically gaming-focused, but that comes with some benefits for the creative user. Gaming must-haves like the latest CPU and GPU chips, as well as plenty of fast RAM, are exactly the same things apps like Premiere Pro or Blender like too.

Apple

Mac Studio

It’s not cheap, especially once you start adding options, but the Mac Studio is a heck of a lot of computer in a compact case, and if you can put it to work will blaze through any task you set it.

A silver Geekom A9 Max on a wooden desk

Geekom

A9 Max

Refreshing performance for an extremely compact mini-PC. It's decked out in ports, offers great connectivity, and the CPU performance, thanks to 32GB of RAM, belies its sub-£1000 price point.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/tech/the-hp-omen-35l-for-2026-may-be-gaming-focused-but-it-delivers-for-creatives-too GAxDAMbyhBkrFA6komCsZY Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ These 11 Walmart Bricktember Lego deals are worth grabbing quickly, and 10 of them are under $50 ]]> Walmart Bricktember Lego deals have come around again! Yep, the retail giant has decided to make an annual thing of it after last year's epic brick sale, and there are some massive Lego discounts on everything from Disney and Star Wars sets to Lego botanicals and more.

Some of the best deals are on cheaper items, with prices under $50, although I'm also very tempted by the Lego Nightmare Before Christmas set. This could be a great gift for either Christmas or Halloween next month.

Coinciding as it does with the Labour Day sales this weekend, I would say that now is the moment to grab any of these deals if you don't want to wait until Black Friday at the end of November. You can browse the whole sale or see my pick of the best Bricktember deals below.

Browse all Walmart Bricktember Lego deals

LEGO

Botanicals Lucky Bamboo

LEGO

Botanicals Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet

LEGO

Disney Tim Burton's the Nightmare Before Christmas

LEGO

Altar of the Dead

LEGO

Star Wars Advent Calendar 2026

LEGO

Shrek Minifigures

LEGO

Disney Moana 2 Heihei

LEGO

Friends Nature Glamping Cabin

LEGO

Ninjago Kai and Cole's Combiner Vehicles

LEGO

Snowman Ornaments

LEGO

Botanicals Daisies

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/entertainment/toys-collectibles/these-are-the-11-walmart-bricktember-lego-deals-actually-worth-considering-and-10-of-them-are-under-usd50 gdcQdDZ8o4cGLKKTAMVJc6 Thu, 03 Sep 2026 19:00:00 +0000 Thu, 03 Sep 2026 22:20:00 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ ArtStation is taking action against AI art, but there's one question it doesn't want to answer ]]> When ArtStation, one of the most popular digital art communities online, recently changed hands, many long-time users of the platform had one big hope: that the new owner would finally take action to stem the swell of AI-generated content on the platform.

They now have some good news. KitBash has turned on 'NoAI' by default for all uploads, marking them as unavailable for AI training. Meanwhile, work is underway to try to make it harder for bots to scrape the site and to stop 'AI art' from burying human artists' work. But some artists are wondering, isn't there an easier potential solution for this?

We’ve been listening to your feedback, and we’re taking immediate steps to safeguard your work.Starting today:- NoAI is ON by default for all new & existing uploads- We’re building on our Cloudflare relationship to block scraping botsRead update: https://t.co/XLcR0OivGVSeptember 2, 2026

Last month, Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite and the game development software Unreal Engine, sold ArtStation to KitBash, the company behind the 3D assets platforms KitBash3D and Greyscalegorilla.

The new owner says it's been listening to users and read the message about AI clear. Artists want measures to protect their work and to stop it from being buried under the deluge of AI slop.

Regarding the first issue, as of yesterday, the default setting for all work on the platform is 'no AI'. This means that both new and existing uploads are automatically excluded from AI training. Users can turn the setting off if, for some reason, they want their work to be available for AI training.

This opt-in rather than opt-out approach is something many artists had called for. It contrasts with the approaches of many other platforms. Users on some social platforms like Instagram have to navigate settings to find how to prevent their content from being used for AI, if it's even possible in their region.

To try to safeguard users' work more effectively, ArtStation says it's working with Cloudflare to try to prevent art from the site being scraped. It's using bot-management and AI crawler tools to proactively identify and block known AI crawlers and automated scraping activity before they can access content at scale.

ArtStation logo and ArtStation No AI logo

Back in 2022, ArtStation users flooded the platform with no AI logos (right) in protest after AI-generated images started to appear at the top of the site's Explore section of featured artworks (Image credit: KitBash / Future)

While it stresses that no system can make publicly shared work impossible to scrape, it believes it can make unauthorised access harder and intends to keep strengthening safeguards as technology changes. Meanwhile, search engines will continue to index ArtStation so artists' work can still be discovered online.

The platform says it also agrees with complaints about the need to stop AI-generated content from overwhelming discovery. The sheer volume of AI art had been making it harder to find artists and to evaluate portfolios, making ArtStation less useful both for artists and potential recruiters.

ArtStation has recognised that the existing #CreatedWithAI label and filtering tools aren't enough to solve the problem. It says it's working on the development of tools to allow better discovery, more control, and better ways to keep generated content from drowning out professional work.

"AI-assisted workflows are varied, so one simple rule won’t solve discovery. But complexity cannot become an excuse for inaction," it said on the ArtStation blog, adding: "We don’t have every answer yet. We want to get this right, and we want the community involved as we work through it".

are just the beginning of the changes we want to make to put creators first. 2/2September 3, 2026

Many artists have welcomed the policy shift towards favouring human art over AI. But some have a question that ArtStation doesn't seem to want to answer. Why not just ban AI art from the platform?

"Feels like [trying to] have it both ways," one artist responded to the announcement on X. "Would love to know why you guys are choosing to allow AI content on the platform. Is it for numbers? Subscriptions? Banning AI would solve the Human artist discovery issue and have less logistics on your side. So why?"

ArtStation responded to the question, but it didn't answer it:

"We hear you, and we agree that the current tools are not enough to keep AI-generated content from burying human work. ArtStation is now part of the KitBash family, and we are working through how to handle complex workflows without hurting artists. Better discovery controls are just the beginning of the changes we want to make to put creators first."

KitBash platforms, including ArtStation and Sketchfab — ArtStation and Sketchfab will join KitBash's ecosystem with KitBash3D and Greyscalegorilla (Image credit: KitBash)

What is ArtStation?

ArtStation is an online platform and community where digital artists can showcase their work. Many of the digital artists who have contributed to Creative Bloq use it as a channel to share their work or as their main portfolio. It's also one of the best art inspiration sites, allowing new artists to learn, while agencies, film and game developers and other potential recruiters can find artists for their projects.

The platform was founded in 2014 by Leonard Teo and Kevin Strike and quickly grew to have millions of users. It was bought by Epic Games in 2021. Along with Sketchfab, it's now part of KitBash. The new owner intends to add integration with KitBash3D and Greyscalegorilla to create an expanded ecosystem.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/art/digital-art/artstation-is-finally-taking-action-against-ai-art-but-theres-one-question-it-doesnt-want-to-answer QufPoHda5MiS85y2BeTaUX Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000 Thu, 03 Sep 2026 19:01:40 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ Meet Lamp: An "alive" Pixar-like desk robot that watches your posture, remembers strangers' faces and answers your emails ]]> Autonomous has unveiled Lamp, a robotic Pixar-like desk light built to behave like it's alive. It can see and hear you, and acts like an AI assistant – with key extras.

One clip of it answering "what's it like to be alive?" racked up a huge 274,000 views on X recently, with overwhelmingly positive responses.

The company's pitch is that "every AI invented so far lives behind glass" – stuck in a browser tab, forgotten within a week, while Lamp has "an alive body". It has a camera-equipped head on five position-feedback servos, a microphone array, and stereo speakers – and it's designed to move with deliberate hesitation: a pause before it looks up, a startle when something crosses its field of view, a slow settle afterwards.

Autonomous says most of its development time went into that motion alone, because it's what convinces people they're looking at a creature rather than a device.

Lamp uses its physical skills to track, well, you. It can remind you to hydrate, tell you off for slouching, remind you to take breaks and even offer to play calming music if you look tired. Oh, and it can talk to other robots.

As well as ambient surveillance, Lamp is also meant to be useful in a fairly ordinary way. It can check your inbox, book meetings in Google Calendar, publish to WordPress, and read out new GitHub issues while you keep typing. A "skill store" with more than 70 add-ons lets owners extend what it does by tapping an option or just telling it what they want.

Autonomous lamp — (Image credit: Autonomous)

You can stop Lamp from watching you and mute it if you need to, which helps with the slightly dystopian feel of having a surveillance object on your desk. Whether or not that part bothers you, the design is impressive, especially the motion and the build of the lamp itself.

Lamp starts at $499 (bulk pricing drops as low as $464 per unit at 30+), comes in four colours, and ships fully assembled from 24 September 2026, with a one-year warranty and 30-day returns.

As with the Autonomous Intern 2, which just landed on my doorstep, I'll withhold real judgement until I've tried it myself.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/ai/meet-lamp-an-alive-pixar-like-robot-that-watches-your-posture-remembers-strangers-faces-and-answers-your-emails REPtg2uBbgep6h28qHe2Zm Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:00:23 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ iPhone 18 Pro leaks suggest photographers are finally getting the feature they've been waiting for ]]> Now that we're in September, all eyes in the tech world are turning towards the first ever Apple event with new CEO John Ternus at the helm. It's set to be a big one, with the long-rumoured folding iPhone expected to enter the fold at last. But while the iPhone 18 Pro might not look much different to it predecessor, what's behind that camera cutout could be game-changing.

Successive iPhone Pro models have been rumoured to be getting a variable aperture lens, and the iPhone 18 Pro is, apparently, set to be the model that finally gets it. And for both photographers and our best iPhone for photography list, this could be huge news.

iPhone 16 camera — The iPhone camera could edge closer to DSLR quality (Image credit: Apple)

Camera upgrades tend to just mean more megapixels, but a variable aperture camera lens would allow the lens to physically adjust the amount of light entering the sensor, offering greater creative control over depth of field. Whether the effect will be dramatic on a smartphone-sized sensor remains to be seen, but it could bring the iPhone one step closer to DSLR quality.

Camera lenses — Variable aperture would allow the lens to physically adjust the amount of light entering the sensor

This, along with the rumoured upgrade to the battery, could make this a more meaningful iPhone update than the similar design might suggest. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is rumoured to be getting a whopping 5,500 mAh battery, which, again, could be great news for photographers using the device as one of their main cameras.

While the folding iPhone Ultra is likely to hog the headlines this month, that model is rumoured not to be getting a third camera lens. This, and those variable aperture rumours, suggest the iPhone 18 Pro could remain the ultimate model for photographers in 2026.

iPhone Fold render — The iPhone Ultra is rumoured to feature only two camera lenses. (Image credit: https://www.iphone-ticker.de/)

We don't have long to wait to find out what's in store, or what it'll all cost. This year's RAM shortages have sent shockwaves through the tech industry, with everybody – including Apple – raising prices.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/design/product-design/iphone-18-pro-leaks-suggest-photographers-are-finally-getting-the-feature-theyve-been-waiting-for oTvA7P3bJeaxSrfCCdJwYh Thu, 03 Sep 2026 10:50:02 +0000 Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:17:07 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ Squeeze the stress away with these 12 beautiful and bizarre squishies – starting from £5.29 ]]> Got jittery hands? You're not alone. But luckily there's a toy for that!

I remember when I was first introduced to a fidget toy, and I have to admit that I was a little nonplussed. Here was an adult man proudly brandishing a toy in the office. I mean, had he no shame?! Then he showed me exactly what it was for, and gave me a go. And I got it. It's a pocket portable thing that can be incredibly satisfying to use. End of story.

So that's why I've had a look at the best looking fidget toys around. I don't think they've quite got the visual impact that some of the best looking keyboards have. Though some of them, especially the squishy toys, look good enough to eat (please don't).

Rzcomp

Giant Cheese

Fxnztumyth

Ice Cubes

AIIONP

Dumpling Squishy

Puffwize

Axolotl

AIIONP

Butter Squeeze

Mondiko

Poo Stress Ball

Gigquake

Orange Ice Cream

Generic

Sparkly Squishy

Keycraft

Squishy Pig

Ruichi

Coconut Oil Stress Ball

Siebkorb

Crunchy Peanut

Siebkorb

Crunchy Lime

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/entertainment/toys-collectibles/squeeze-the-stress-away-with-these-12-beautiful-and-bizarre-squishies-starting-from-gbp5-29 DQnP6z7be9TM2BRtYSLTEo Thu, 03 Sep 2026 09:16:09 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ This artist turns iconic characters like Spider-Man and Hulk into sculptural Marvels ]]> The Argentine artist Emiliano Calderón is a digital collectible sculptor with over 11 years of experience. He combines traditional sculpting with digital artistry to create detailed statues for Sideshow Collectibles, Queen Studios and Superkraft Lab.

Below, he talks us through three examples of his work. Emiliano uses software like Maxon's ZBrush (see our guides to the best 3D modelling software and the best laptops for 3D modelling).

Hulk

“I’m motivated by creating dynamic poses and conveying a strong personality when it comes to sculpting. It’s a fun challenge to remain faithful to the original character design.”

Venom

“Organic sculpting is my greatest strength. It allows me to emphasise the anatomy, fine surface detail, and texture.”

Spider-Man

“Digital sculpting allows me to achieve exceptional levels of detail while preparing collectible statues for physical production. Different materials enhance the sense of realism and quality.”

You can see more of Emiliano's work on his ArtStation profile.

This article originally appeared in ImagineFX. Subscribe to ImagineFX to never miss an issue. Print and digital subscriptions are available.

Today's drawing tablet deals

See our guide to the best drawing tablets for more options.

HUION

Kamvas 13

XP-Pen

Artist 15.6 Pro

XP-Pen

Updated Deco 01 V3

HUION

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]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/3d/3d-art/this-artist-turns-iconic-characters-like-spider-man-and-hulk-into-sculptural-marvels 6iHFzUBfoLns83B2Th6esN Thu, 03 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ Orbitals review: a co-op playable anime dream ]]>

Details

Orbitals game for Switch 2 — (Image credit: Kepler Interactive / Shapefarm)

Publisher Kepler Interactive

Developer Shapefarm

Release date 3 September 2026

Format Switch 2

Platform Unreal Engine 5

As acclaimed as the co-op games of Hazelight, the studio behind Split Fiction, It Takes Two and A Way Out, have been, I'd never been that compelled to play them myself. I'd tell myself it's mostly because their characters sound too insufferable to spend a 10-15 hour story with.

But more realistically in these days of busy schedules and conflicting priorities, I lacked a gaming partner to play them with. Fortunately, this time I had some willing and able partners for sci-fi adventure Orbitals, which I've been excited to play from the moment it was first revealed.

The debut from Tokyo-based developer Shapefarm, Orbitals faithfully reproduces the aesthetic of an anime from the 80s with its expressive and eccentric character designs that's taken a leaf from the late great Akira Toriyama or the exquisite hand-animated craft of a Studio Ghibli production.

Sure, lots of modern games may sport an anime style, but none have committed to its craft so closely, from ensuring characters are animated at 24 FPS to the way all the environments including the lighting seem to be completely hand-painted, paying no mind to the modern tools of Unreal Engine 5. Even the catchy song and accompanying montage when you start up the game feels like the start of an anime episode.

That consistency is important too because the game's cutscenes have been produced by Japanese animation company Studio Massket, whose animators clearly understood the assignment of replicating traditional hand-drawn practices. Then when it cuts between cinematic and gameplay, the transition is so seamless since the assets look practically identical, with the difference being that you can freely rotate the camera in the latter.

Adding to the authenticity is the option to play the game with Japanese audio (I've always been subs over dubs, though given Shapefarm is a very international team and there's actually multiple language options available, you could also argue there isn't a language option that is more authentic than the other).

It's frankly mind-boggling that Orbitals continues to look like an anime no matter what angle you're looking at your characters or the scenery. And you'll often be seeing a scene in two different angles since this ispredominantly a split-screen co-op game, with Maki always on the left side of the screen, while Omura is on the right.

They make for a delightful and always cheerful pair to be around, more so as you can make them emote or you'll often come across a little alien creature to pet, but they also seem perfectly fine respawning after falling into a deep space void or being incinerated to a crisp (there's a whole important plot point to this right at the beginning that explains how our twin protagonists are seemingly immortal).

I suppose that kind of cheerful optimism is an important mindset to have when playing Orbitals as your enjoyment will likely depend on who you're playing with. I should probably mention that my play sessions involved local splitscreen with my partner, and also online with my niece, neither of them as experienced with gamers as me though they certainly enjoy them enough to humour me.

For the latter, even though Orbitals comes with a friend pass that allows another player to play online for free provided the host owns the game, it also supports GameChat locally and online. Making use of the latter via GameChat, I found it worked very smoothly with no noticeable lag, which is especially important in a game where close coordination matters.

Perhaps as this is a Switch 2 exclusive, Shapefarm is conscious that the game may be played by a wider demographic, which is also why some of its asymmetrical gameplay takes a simpler approach compared to some of the wilder ideas from Hazelight's games.

For instance, it's got a recurring core where your duo will alternate between three kinds of three gadgets that share aim-and-shoot mechanics, albeit with different functions: the liquid launcher for dowsing flames or spinning water wheels; the beam cannon fires lasers for melting or blasting through certain obstacles; the scrap hook pulls, yanks or opens things.

Not that there aren't occasional bespoke gadgets too, such as something that gives one of the players the equivalent of a ground pound, while the ship - where one player is the pilot and the other is the gunner - also unlocks some cool upgrades during the story, each time getting its own OTT fanfare resembling a cheesy infomercial.

As much as I love the commitment to the anime style, the story sadly didn't hold my attention as much outside of the cinematics. This is arguably also because when playing online the audio balance was more weighted on chat, meaning the game audio was quieter, while any Japanese dialogue happening alongside gameplay would go over my head since I was focusing on communicating with my partner on how to get through the next puzzling predicament over following the subtitles.

Yet even though some moments did test my patience and coordination, perhaps proving that I'm more of a solo player, it's hard not to break into a smile in Maki and Omu's charming and ever-cheery presence.

You can buy Orbitals at Amazon and Nintendo

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/entertainment/gaming/orbitals-review-a-co-op-playable-anime-dream JaS7VgC9EtDoKZGz9PJn8G Thu, 03 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:17:07 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ Street Fighter's 'world-first' playable trailer is a hadouken to traditional movie advertising ]]> The Street Fighter movie is coming next month, and Legendary Pictures and Paramount are leaning into its camp retro vibe with what's being billed as a world first. The new Street Fighter trailer is also a playable game.

The trailer bombards us with combat scenes from the movie and enough of Chun-Li to appease fans. But as well as being able to sit back and watch the silliness (below), we can also play along and try to keep up with the action by performing famous special attacks like hadoukens and shoryukens (also see our pick of the best retro game consoles).

As well as the traditional trailer above, Legendary has posted a YouTube Playable. You can't influence the action, but you can imagine you're performing the combos that appear on screen by following the instructions to complete the corresponding combinations of joystick swivels and button presses on a virtual arcade machine. Retro on-screen graphics tell you whether you scored a hit or failed to execute the combo in time.

The playable trailer reflects a shift in digital advertising, with brands seeking interaction rather than exposure alone. Movie trailers have remained largely unchanged for decades. Whether in cinemas, on television, or on YouTube, the audience's role has been passive, but this is a clear example of how advertising is evolving from something audiences watch into something they do and share.

By inviting viewers to perform Street Fighter combos while the trailer unfolds, the campaign makes engagement part of the marketing. Instead of views, participation becomes the most valuable metric. Someone who spends three or four minutes actively playing a trailer is far more engaged than someone who watches 30 seconds and scrolls away.

By giving players a final score, the trailer also creates reasons to replay and to share the experience with others. It's a win for YouTube too since the YouTube Playable format keeps users on the platform rather than sending them elsewhere.

For reaching the gen Z and alpha audiences, advertising has become not just about telling a story but inviting the viewer to be part of it. Street Fighter's a perfect movie to test the idea given that it was inspired by an interactive experience. It's very silly, but itf it's deemed a success, we may look back at it as one of the first widely visible examples of the playable trailer as a mainstream marketing format.

It's interesting to imagine how other trailers could become experiences. Imagine campaigns where horror movies challenge viewers to survive a short interactive scenario, detective films hide clues across trailers and social media and sci-fi films offer short interactive worlds to explore, building on the idea of Pixar's clever Hoppers live stream.

The Street Fighter movie will be released on 16 October.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/entertainment/movies-tv-shows/street-fighters-playable-trailer-is-a-hadouken-to-traditional-movie-advertising aSyjK37uA44CqHdSotPHHi Thu, 03 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ This premium 4K monitor from Eizo is a dream for photo editors ]]> The Eizo ColorEdge CG2700X is the flagship of Eizo's latest generation of colour‑critical displays, designed for professional creators who need absolute accuracy. Sitting next to a (rather good) Gigabyte gaming monitor on my desk, the difference was instant and dramatic; the CG2700X simply renders colour with a level of precision that mainstream displays can’t touch.

If you’re exploring your options, check out our guide to the best monitors for photo editing.

An Eizo ColorEdge CG2700X monitor sitting on a desk, showing a forest image on its screen — (Image credit: Future / Erlingur Einarsson)

Key specifications

Feature	Specification
Resolution	4K UHD (3840 x 2160)
Panel Type	IPS
Brightness	500 nits
Contrast	1450:1
Color Gamut	98% DCI‑P3, 99% Adobe RGB
HDR Support	PQ, HLG
Connectivity	USB‑C (94W PD), DisplayPort, HDMI, LAN
Calibration	Built‑in sensor + ColorNavigator 7
Stand	Height, tilt, swivel, pivot
Size	27 inches

Design and build

Bulky, utilitarian design with thick bezels
Excellent stand adjustability and practical hood

The CG2700X is unapologetically functional. Its design leans heavily toward the old‑school aesthetic Eizo has stuck with for years: thick bezels, a chunky chassis, and a lot of visible plastic. For a monitor at this price, it’s not exactly exciting to look at.

But practicality wins out. The stand is superb, offering height, tilt, swivel, and pivot adjustments with smooth movement. The bundled hood attaches magnetically and does a great job of reducing glare. Around the back, the punched‑metal ventilation design keeps the panel cool without relying on noisy fans.

It’s not pretty, but it’s built for serious work first and foremost.

Design score: 3/5

Features

Built‑in mechanical self‑calibration sensor
Versatile connectivity including USB‑C with 94W PD

The Eizo ColorEdge CG2700X is packed with creator‑focused features. The most impressive, for me, is the built‑in calibration sensor, which physically swings down from the top bezel to measure and adjust the display. Watching it in action is genuinely cool, and more importantly, it delivers excellent results. Combined with Eizo's ColorNavigator 7 software, you can schedule automatic recalibrations and maintain perfect accuracy without having to bring in third‑party tools.

Connectivity is another strong point. USB‑C handles video, data, and up to 94W of power delivery, meaning you can run a MacBook Pro or high‑end laptop from a single cable. The built‑in LAN port is ideal for studio workflows, especially when using ColorNavigator Network for remote colour management.

Preset colour modes are easy to access, and the OSD is far more intuitive than most monitors; a small but meaningful quality‑of‑life win.

Features score: 5/5

Performance

Exceptional colour accuracy and uniformity
HDR support with PQ and HLG

This is where the Eizo ColorEdge CG2700X earns its reputation. Colour performance is genuinely top-class. Colours are rich, accurate, and consistent across the entire panel thanks to EIZO’s digital uniformity equalizer (DUE) software working its magic from the inside. The wide gamut coverage (98% DCI‑P3, 99% Adobe RGB) makes it ideal for cinema‑grade colour work, photography, and high‑end post‑production.

HDR support is strong, with both PQ and HLG curves and a peak brightness of 500 nits. In my measurements, I got 498 nits, which is close enough to call it a margin of error. It’s not a replacement for a dedicated HDR reference monitor, but it’s more than capable for HDR editing and grading.

The only real limitation is refresh rate, which maxes out at 60Hz. This is not a gaming monitor, nor is it ideal for game development workflows that rely on high‑refresh previews. But for colour‑critical work, it’s simply exceptional.

Performance score: 5/5

Who's it for?

Professional editors, photographers, colourists, and studios needing uncompromising accuracy

The CG2700X is built for professionals who rely on colour precision. Its price and design make it overkill for casual users, but for serious creative work, it’s a tool that pays for itself.

Eizo ColorEdge CG2700X scorecard
Section	Score	Summary
Design & Build	3/5	Unexciting, functional, sturdy
Features	5/5	Feature-rich on the outside and inside for creators of (almost) all types
Performance	5/5	Unmatched colour performance, exceptional accuracy and great ease of use.
Overall	4.5/5	A reference‑grade monitor that delivers exceptional accuracy and workflow‑friendly features.

Buy it if:

You need industry‑standard colour accuracy
You work in photography, video editing, VFX, or colour grading
You want reliable self‑calibration and studio‑grade consistency

Don't buy it if:

You want a gaming‑friendly refresh rate
You prefer sleek, modern monitor aesthetics
You don’t need professional‑level colour performance

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/tech/monitors/this-premium-4k-monitor-from-eizo-is-a-dream-for-photo-editors svMNeUqZKLS8868KVsAW68 Thu, 03 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ The perfect slim and light back-to-school MacBook alternative has $450 off ]]> We're big fans of the MacBook Air here at Creative Bloq, and we consider it to be one of the best student laptops. That said, after Apple hiked its prices this year, it's well worth considering a Windows alternative. The Lenovo Slim 7i Aura Edition is the perfect candidate now it's reduced by $450 off to $1,049 at B&H Photo.

For context, the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air with 16GB of unified memory and 1TB SSD storage will set you back $1,729, even with the current $70 discount. The Lenovo Slim 7i Aura Edition gets you the same amount of memory and storage, plus an OLED touchscreen, for $680 less!

This laptop is closely related to the Yoga Slim Aura Edition that we tested last year, but it has an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor instead of the Snapdragon X. That should eliminate any concerns about compatibility with everyday creative programs.

If you can make do with ChromeOS, I'd also consider this fantastic Chromebook deal at Best Buy for an even cheaper back-to-school laptop. But if you want Windows for access to fully fledged desktop software, this is one of the best offers I've seen as the Labour Day sales kick off.

The Lenovo Slim 7i Aura Edition weighs just 2.8lb (1.27kg), making it perfect for slinging in a bag and taking to school or campus. This configuration boasts 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage plus a solid complement of ports for connectivity.

Processing power and battery life easily compete with those of a MacBook Air. The integrated Intel graphics rather than a dedicated GPU mean it's not a device for high-end video editing or 3D modelling, and display resolution is lower than that of a MacBook Air at 1920 x 1200. But, there's the advantage of the improved contrast that comes with an OLED display, and it's a touchscreen – something that Apple still doesn't offer.View Deal

For comparison, you can check other MacBook prices below.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/tech/laptops/this-slim-and-light-back-to-school-macbook-alternative-is-now-usd450-off PxyCKg5dYeWrvxomBDqLMH Wed, 02 Sep 2026 19:30:30 +0000 Wed, 02 Sep 2026 20:53:56 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ Yes, a Chromebook can be the perfect school laptop – and there's $170 off the best we've ever tested ]]> Are Chromebooks good enough as a back-to-school laptop in 2026? Absolutely, especially the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514, which we recently gave a 9/10 review, and which is now reduced by $170 from $749 to $579 at Best Buy Labour Day Sale.

This price is for the well-specced 12GB RAM, 256GB SSD configuration that we tested for our recent Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 review. Our writer was impressed by the sleek and slim bag-friendly 2-in-1 design, but most of all by the surprising speed and power that it offers for a ChromeOS laptop.

We've reviewed dozens of Chromebooks, and finally we have one that performs for students in creative fields as well as for general productivity and entertainment. It's cheaper than many Windows or Apple devices and has the advantage of doubling as a tablet thanks to the sturdy hinge and touchscreen.

If you do need to run software that doesn't run on ChromeOS, see our guide to the best student laptops overall.

Today's best back-to-school Chromebook deal

Features: 14in WUXGA Touchscreen display | MediaTek Kompanio Ultra chip | 12GB RAM | 256GB storage | Wi-Fi 7

The Plus Spin 514 is surprisingly powerful for a Chromebook and a great option for anyone who wants a versatile light and portable laptop and tablet in one. It has sleek modern looks, solid build with a robust hinge, and battery life is fantastic, making it ideal for taking to school.

See our full Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 review.View Deal

Is a Chromebook right for a school laptop?

We think the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is a great choice as a school laptop since it's light and portable but robust and powerful enough to handle some creative work like photo editing and 2D design as well as general essay writing and browsing. The 2-in-1 touchscreen format makes it a versatile device that can be used as a tablet for reading, sketching or note taking.

Just bear in mind that ChromeOS is designed largely around cloud-based computing and that the desktop versions of many popular design programs are available only for Windows and Mac. While the range of Androids apps available is large and continues to grow, a Chromebook is ideal if you plan to work a lot online, for example, using the Google suite of apps and online versions of Adobe's software.

You can see more Chromebook deals below.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/tech/laptops/yes-a-chromebook-can-be-the-perfect-school-laptop-and-theres-usd170-off-the-best-weve-ever-reviewed hYkLrwf4qseiraVbkVerq4 Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:04:46 +0000 Wed, 02 Sep 2026 19:32:39 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ The Evercade Nexus is the retro antidote to modern gaming's anti-physical and expensive dead-end future ]]> It can be a depressing time for gaming right now, with RAMageddon causing hardware price hikes across the board and the hobby becoming ever more out of our control, whether it's an online game whose publisher deciding to turn the servers off or Sony's controversial decision to kill off physical discs. No wonder more people are pining for a simpler time with retro gaming.

That brings me to a new piece of hardware I got to check out at Gamescom 2026 that's actually worth getting excited about. The Evercade Nexus is the latest in a line of retrogaming consoles from UK company Blaze Entertainment.

Rather than the kind of retro handhelds stuffed with emulators that leaves the grey area of how you obtain the games to run on them up to the owner, the Evercade has its own ecosystem of physical cartridges with a nice curved design so that when you slot them in they feel integrated with the handheld's dimensions.

More importantly, these are all officially licensed games, some which run on emulation but also some that are custom-built for the hardware, and that so far already consists of more than 80 cartridges (the majority of them are compilations) spanning gaming history from console to arcade to home computers. The Nexus is almost guaranteed to earn a place in our pick of the best handheld retro gaming consoles.

US preorders

UK preoders

While originally focusing on 8-bit and 16-bit games, the Evercade's collection and hardware has been undergoing its own accelerated version of gaming console history, which brings us to the Evercade Nexus, a handheld that feels made for the early 3D gaming era, as evidence of its twin analogue sticks, while it also comes packaged with a cartridge that includes two all-timer 3D platformers from the N64 era, Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie.

Although I have sometimes been sceptical of retro handhelds that have 16:9 displays when surely most games that are being emulated were 4:3, the two Banjo games aren't emulations but a native port based on Microsoft's release for Rare Replay, as evidence from Microsoft's name on the game's title screen. That means it's making use of a widescreen image as well as modern inputs like being able to use the right stick to look with the camera.

Evercade Nexus — (Image credit: Alan Wen)

Naturally, that makes the Nexus's larger 5.89-inch 840x512 screen a beautiful size for those N64 3D graphics, a considerable upgrade over the 4.3-inch 800×480 of its predecessor, the Evercade EXP. Sure, you might argue it could have gone one better by having an OLED screen, but Blaze is also keen on keeping it at its affordable price point of £169.99 / $199.99 while still having a perfectly bright IFS screen.

Alongside having modest but functional memory, it ensures this handheld isn't going to be a casualty in the unpredictable market of component shortages driving up the cost of other modern consoles.

If you're into your classic vertical shooters, such as those from the Toaplan collection, then you can also flip the Nexus on its side and play in Tate mode at the push of a button with the intended view. While Tate mode was actually introduced on the EXP, it's better implemented here without the need to include extra buttons, and also why the twin sticks as a symmetrical layout.

There is however another exclusive feature to the Nexus at launch called EverSync, which is a bit like the console's version of the Switch 2's local GameShare, allowing you to play multiplayer games with another Nexus owner but where only the host has to own the game.

To be honest, this felt a little patchy to test during my appointment, which is not what you want to happen when testing a competitive fighting game like Garou: Mark of the Wolves. Although those who do want to play multiplayer games are better investing in the Evercade Vs home console, which connects to the TV, this still sounds like an interesting option for handheld multiplayer.

While keeping things retro, the Nexus nonetheless has some modern features too, such as support for wireless headphones and WiFI 6, though that's only meant to receiving console updates. RGB lighting on the other hand does seem like a half-hearted attempt to appeal to modern gamers who like their RGB, although my curmudgeonly brain finds too much of a gimmick and garish eyesore.

Still, it's only for lighting up the Nexus logo on the bottom, is pretty easy to access from the settings, and yes, you can just turn it off too.

Yet while having two Banjo games bundled is a strong start, and The Doom Collection is also launching the same date as the Nexus, I'm also scratching my head at what other 3D releases Blaze can realistically obtain licences for. After all, a console is only as good as the software it has, and while you can play any existing Evercade cartridges on this new system and get a better experience, what else is to come?

In the absence of a Super Mario 64, does that mean just more releases from the Rare Replay collection or might we get some more obscure deep cuts that we had forgotten about from the 32-bit and 64-bit era?

But as more hardware – PC and retro – continue on unsustainable trajectories to the point where we're at the madness of four-figure handhelds, the Evercade Nexus feels like a defiant balm that transports us back to simpler time where gaming is still literally, and existentially, in your hands.

The Evercade Nexus launches on 30 October for £169.99 / $199.99 with the Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack included.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/entertainment/gaming/the-evercade-nexus-is-the-retro-antidote-to-modern-gamings-anti-physical-and-expensive-dead-end-future Low798wpBzcuQUsCJLRiNg Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:00:00 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ The Blood of Dawnwalker (PS5) review: a smart vampire RPG that doesn't quite sink its teeth into the fantasy ]]>

Details

Blood of the Dawnwalker art — (Image credit: Rebel Wolves / Bandai Namco)

Publisher Bandia Namco

Developer Rebel Wolves

Release date 3 September

Format PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, PC

Platform Unreal Engine 5

There’s clearly half a pint of The Witcher 3 DNA in The Blood of Dawnwalker, and I mean that both as a compliment and as a bit of a problem, because Rebel Wolves has made a big, handsome, sprawling medieval fantasy RPG full of muddy hamlets, ruined towers, castles, forests, caves and snowy mountain passes, all populated by people having a generally miserable time in the 14th century, but it never quite manages to escape the feeling that I’ve been here before.

That’s especially true of Vale Sangora, the Carpathian region in which Dawnwalker takes place, where the Black Death, war and social collapse have given a clique of vampires the opportunity to take control. At the centre of it all is Coen, a young man transformed into a Dawnwalker, human by day and vampire by night, who finds himself trying to save his family from Brencis, the vampire lord who has taken control of his homeland. It’s a terrific setup, particularly because the game makes time itself one of its central mechanics, giving you 30 days and nights to pursue your main objective while accepting that you simply won't be able to see or do everything along the way.

And yet, after spending time with Dawnwalker, I’m left with the frustrating feeling that Rebel Wolves has made a game containing several really clever ideas, then surrounded them with a lot of fairly ordinary open-world RPG stuff – side-quests that go nowhere, loot that rarely excites, character levelling that doesn’t demand attention, and a world that feels busy and empty all at once.

Vampires in a medieval set video game — The world is large and detailed, making good use of Unreal Engine 5, but it can also feel very familiar. (Image credit: Bandai Namco / Rebel Wolves)

Blood of the Dawnwalker's time to reflect

The time mechanic is a good example. I softened on it after my first few hours where I felt hemmed in, because there is something genuinely interesting about being forced to make decisions rather than wandering around indefinitely hoovering up every question mark on the map. Time advances when you undertake certain key activities, and the game continues beyond the 30-day period rather than suddenly throwing you back to the title screen and offering New Game+, so it’s really an interesting pressure system rather than a hard game-over deadline.

The problem is what you’re giving up and the feeling that there’s a better, different game somewhere in here if only I’d made some different choices, and such is life. There’s a constant little FOMO anxiety hanging over Dawnwalker, because I know that helping someone, investigating something or simply spending time preparing Coen for what’s coming can push that clock forward, and yet when I take the gamble and go exploring, quite a lot of what I find isn’t especially compelling or even fun. Side missions and smaller activities can often boil down to clearing a camp, wandering through a cave, killing some soldiers, hunting a bear or two or monsters and picking up whatever loot has been left behind, and when the reward is another chest of largely forgettable equipment and crafting tat, I’m left wondering why I spent Coen’s precious time doing it.

It makes the game's open-world design feel at odds with itself. Other open-world RPGs encourage you to wander, to poke your nose into abandoned buildings, climb a hill because something caught your eye in the distance, investigate a strange symbol or clear out a bandit camp simply because it happens to be there. Dawnwalker does all of that, then occasionally looks at its watch and tuts because perhaps you really shouldn’t be wasting Coen’s time meandering around a nice-looking woodland stone circle in the off chance something fun may happen.

When Dawnwalker actually gives you a reason to investigate something, it can be brilliant. I didn't expect this game to become a sort of procedural medieval crime solver, but some of my favourite moments have involved examining crime scenes and piecing together evidence, whether I’m trying to understand the origins of the vampiric curse, working out how to undermine Brencis or simply helping some poor soul who has been swallowed up by the increasingly horrible state of the valley.

You use Coen’s Focus ability to examine the world, inspect clues and reconstruct what might have happened, and these investigations tap into something the more conventional quests rarely achieve: curiosity. I’m not just going somewhere because a marker tells me to kill eight vampires or destroy yet another leech farm (one of a series of missions to enrage Brencis’ court of vampires and weaken his hold on the region, one of many Assassin's Creed-like ideas in Dawnwalker), I’m looking at what happened, trying to understand why and wondering whether I’ve actually got the right person.

That feeds into Dawnwalker’s greatest strength, its sense that your decisions actually matter. Not every choice is a grand, flashing dialogue option where you decide whether Coen is a saint or an absolute brute – and you can simply give in to his vampire nature and feed on people mid-conversation. Sometimes it’s a comment, a small action, something you choose to investigate or ignore, and the consequences can ripple out later. Even after finishing a conversation or mission, I’ve often had that nagging feeling that I haven't quite finished with it and something I’ve done is really going to come back to haunt me later, and that’s a real skill to achieve in a sprawling RPG.

One particular vampire murder investigation really hammered this home. I helped a bloodsucker I thought was in trouble, got involved in the case, came away feeling like I’d done the right thing and moved on, only to discover a piece of evidence once I’d made my choices, that made me wonder whether my new friend was the innocent party I’d taken him for – only time will tell.

Dawnwalker's room to grow

That’s where Dawnwalker starts feeling like the RPG Rebel Wolves clearly wants to make, one where the world is reacting to you rather than simply waiting for you to complete its shopping list of tick-sheet missions and side-quests. It’s also where the game’s Witcher influence becomes less of an issue, because when Dawnwalker follows its own strange ideas, it gets considerably more interesting.

The vampire side of the story can be theatrical and wonderfully strange, with some sequences abandoning the familiar medieval fantasy aesthetic for something far more stylised, including ancient temples where Egyptian statues suddenly come to life and a dream world coated in a theatrical red backdrop. These moments feel like the game flexing a little, throwing its vampire mythology, traditional folklore grounding and supernatural history into a world that initially looks like another muddy European RPG, and suddenly there’s something here I haven’t quite seen before.

I wanted more of this too, because visually, Dawnwalker is very good at building a convincing medieval world. Unreal Engine 5 gives Rebel Wolves plenty of muscle to fill Vale Sangora with dense forests, believable settlements, imposing castles and snowy landscapes, and there’s a pleasing sense of place to it all. But there’s also a familiarity to the design, the kind of fantasy medieval environment where you can almost predict what you’ll find around the next corner.

Then the vampire mythology muscles into it, ancient cultures and supernatural architecture appear, and Dawnwalker’s world begins to show a personality of its own. The main story is good at selling the idea of lurching around the world as a bloodsucker. There are moments where the vampire path becomes bolder, where the imagery shifts and the supernatural starts to dominate the medieval setting, and these are some of the strongest sequences in the game. They suggest a much stranger RPG lurking underneath the more familiar open-world. It just doesn't happen often enough, and the bulk of the game, visually and stylistically, is very safe.

The same is true of Coen himself, because being a vampire sounds considerably more exciting on paper than it actually feels in my hands. By day Coen is witchcraft-imbued human, by night he becomes a vampire, and the game gives you different tools and abilities depending on which side of his nature you’re embracing. You can switch between swordplay and vampiric abilities, different armour loadouts, use Witchcraft, exploit supernatural movement and, at night, make use of abilities such as Shadowstep and other vampiric traversal options to reach places and approach situations differently.

There are genuine differences here, and Coen’s nightlife can open up rooftops and routes that aren’t available to human Coen, and the vampire life gives you a different way of seeing the world, one where human life feels considerably cheaper and Coen can move through the environment with a more brutal, cavalier attitude.

But mechanically the two halves don't feel different enough, and too often it feels like playing normal Coen, only on a roof. Human and vampire Coen largely control in the same way too, with similar rhythms and similar expectations, and even when I’m unleashing vampiric powers it doesn't always feel like I’ve transformed into something fundamentally different or monstrous. There are fun abilities in there, including blood-based attacks and supernatural powers – I can always watch enemies' blood boil and pop – and the idea of switching between two versions of the same character is strong, but the game doesn't always sell the vampire fantasy artistically or mechanically.

That feels like a missed opportunity, because the vampire Coen should be the thing that makes Dawnwalker impossible to confuse with another medieval RPG. Instead, some of the biggest differences are practical. Vampire Coen can move differently, reach places and approach certain problems from a new angle, but there isn't always the dramatic change in tone or visual language I was hoping for outside of the main story beats. The game knows that he is a vampire, characters tell you they're scared of you, but sometimes I wanted it to feel like I was one; a powerful, flamboyant creature of the night instead of a guy who can lurk on rooftops.

But unfortunately, the combat doesn't quite provide the same sense of invention. Dawnwalker uses directional combat, allowing Coen to attack and block from four directions, with the left stick used to determine where you defend and the right stick controlling sword strikes. Special abilities, magic and vampire can be launched on the D-pad. It works, certainly, and there are moments when getting a parry right feels satisfying, particularly against tougher enemies and oddly enough against groups of enemies where fights ebb and flow in a more dynamic way.

Combat can feel blunt

The bigger issue is that combat rarely feels genuinely challenging or inventive. Enemies tend to settle into familiar patterns, and once you’ve understood what the game wants you to do, encounters can become more about executing the routine than improvising within it. Against one or two enemies, it can feel slow and lacks a real sense of danger – you’re never on edge, feeling you’re one hit or block from victory or defeat.

There are flashes of fun, especially when Coen starts mixing his supernatural abilities into the fight. Witchcraft gives the human side some entertaining tricks, while vampire abilities can become considerably more vicious, with attacks that boil blood or finish off enemies in suitably nasty fashion.

But, again, I wanted more, and it's odd how the sword feels more satisfying than the vampire claws, which is a slightly awkward conclusion for a game whose big selling point is that its hero is a vampire. The skill structure splits upgrades between Witchcraft, Swordsman and Vampire abilities, but in practice I rarely felt like I was building a particular kind of Coen. I accumulated so many upgrade points that specialisation became largely irrelevant, and eventually I upgraded things because I had the points rather than because I had made a meaningful strategic decision about the character I wanted to play.

The inventory has a similar problem. At one point I found myself carrying a large collection of junk, including defacto wooden spoons every 'realistic' RPG features, and while I understand the appeal of having a world filled with things that can be picked up, there’s a point where I start wondering why I’m still collecting cutlery while supposedly racing to save my family from a vampire lord.

It contributes to that undercooked feeling that runs through Dawnwalker. The systems are there, the world is full of things to collect, the skill trees are full of upgrades, and there are weapons, abilities, resources, and crafting ingredients, but not all of these systems feel like they have enough reason to exist and you won't really pay all them any attention because you simply don't need to.

Which brings me back to the time mechanic, because this is meaningful, and I love what Rebel Wolves is trying to do with it, even if I’m still not convinced it always works. The point is to make the world feel finite and pressures you into deciding what matters. You can't help everyone, investigate everything and clear every cave, and that’s a ‘big idea’ response to one of the pressing problems with modern open-world RPGs, where the main story might be threatening the end of civilisation while your protagonist spends 45 hours picking mushrooms, trying our new hairstyles and attempting to fix the marriage of random characters they just met.

But Dawnwalker doesn't always give me enough compelling alternatives to make its choices painful. If the thing I’m giving up is a fascinating investigation, a brilliantly written character story or a bizarre vampire mystery, then yes, make me sweat over the clock. If it’s another bandit camp containing a chest full of equipment I’ll never use, I’m less bothered. That’s the contradiction at the heart of Dawnwalker – it can make me feel like I'm missing out, it can force me to follow the story paths, but if I do gamble and play outside lines there's more often not a lot to surprise.

Is The Blood of Dawnwalker worth playing?

Rebel Wolves has created a world with a convincing sense of history, populated it with characters whose stories can surprise, and built a narrative system where seemingly insignificant decisions can come back to bite you later in unexpected ways. Coen's struggle between his humanity and his vampiric nature is a strong foundation, and when the game allows that conflict to shape the world rather than simply alter his move set, it can be genuinely compelling, but it could have been taken so much further.

There are all the ingredients here for something genuinely distinctive, whether it's the time mechanic, day-night-character arc, detective gameplay or world-affecting decisions; I just wish Rebel Wolves had trusted its strangest ideas a little more. Because when Dawnwalker is being weird, reactive and unpredictable, it’s a much more exciting game than the one where I’m clearing another cave and wondering whether that wooden spoon is finally going to become useful.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/entertainment/gaming/the-blood-of-dawnwalker-review-a-smart-vampire-rpg-that-doesnt-quite-sink-its-teeth-into-the-fantasy E8qSMhUPMsvhsth6Ha2rKC Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:30:00 +0000 Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:56:56 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is a glorious return to the series' 2D roots with a more modern 2.5D aesthetic ]]> It's been too long since the last Castlevania game, even longer if you're pining for one adhering to its 2D tradition, which was 2008's Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia for the DS. Ironically, there have been many pretenders in that time, with countless indie games that can be categorised in the Metroidvania genre, of which the most influential is arguably 1997's Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

But with the series 40th anniversary this year, Konami is finally giving one of the OGs a timely revival. It's picked the perfect studio for the job too, given that Evil Empire has helped make expansions to Dead Cells, one of the best modern Metroidvanias, including the acclaimed Return to Castlevania expansion.

Unlike Dead Cells however, Castlevania: Belmont's Curse isn't a pixel art game, a controversial choice for old-school fans, but instead embraces a more modern approach. While not going for the hand-drawn style of Hollow Knight, it's also not a typical 2.5D game that uses 3D visuals for cinematics before fixing you to side-scrolling gameplay.

From its painterly Gothic backgrounds depicting 1499 Paris engulfed in flames to 2D portrait illustrations for characters, it mostly wants to evoke the feel of a 2D animation.

The acclaimed Netflix animated series, itself by the artwork from Symphony of the Night, is more than just an inspiration then, especially as Belmont's Curse also includes some lo-fi animation for its cinematic cutscenes. It's even a kind of continuation of that show's timeline, which had adapted the story for Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, albeit set 23 years later with an older Trevor Belmont.

Indeed, you don't actually play as this now aging vampire hunter but rather his daughter Rose, the last in the line of this legendary vampire-hunting family.

This new blood has a refreshing agility to her just from the way her long blue cape and long blonde ponytail animate while she runs to her ability to slide under obstacles and wall-jump from the off. Even the series' trademark whip, the Vampire Killer, is put to new use here, prioritised more as a tool for grappling and swinging around environments.

In any case, there's plenty more weapons for dispatching monsters, from a swift dagger to punching gauntlets, though I'm still wondering whether there will be an axe with its iconic throwing arc.

Alongside weapons are Arcanas, ranged magic attacks such as my starting fire spell, which cost the magic meter, though it seems this can easily refill just from defeating enemies. But rather than just having an arcana, you can also improve it over time just by using it often in specific challenges. That you also earn XP by just defeating enemies regularly also means you're making progress every time without the punishing systems of a Soulslike.

More intriguing is how to unlock more Arcanas, as these actually come from bosses, who upon defeat are sealed into tarot cards. It's the Mega Man approach to absorbing the power from a powerful enemy, yet Belmont's Curse doesn't leave it at that.

For a start, those tarot designs look exquisite in their own right, where you initially only have it partially complete, but you may have clues as to who that tarot represents. But in the way these arcanas can be upgraded, you can also learn more about those you have sealed.

Take The Fallen, the first boss I encounter, a cursed beast who wouldn't look out of place in Bloodborne. While I was pleased to unlock his arcana, a holy cross that controls like a boomerang, which he had been using on me during a few challenging attempts, it turns out you'll still have chances to converse with those sealed away, perhaps learning of the tragedy of how they came to be cursed, in turn humanising the monsters you must defeat.

In other words, despite a game being developed by a studio called Evil Empire, there's more depth to this world than just good and evil. You would hope for that too when considering that one of the bosses you fight also happens to be Joan of Arc, and I can't imagine French people would look kindly on having their beloved Maid of Orléans vilified without some justified rationale.

Even though Castlevania: Belmont's Curse arrives at a time when the genre it helped spawn couldn't be more saturated, let alone also launching in one of the busiest times in the gaming calendar, after an hour with it at Gamescom, I'm already itching to dive further into the streets of Paris and face more mythical foes. Rose feels like a fresh face with the agile moveset that ditches the older games' cursed stun lock, and with a smoother sense of progression, it may also hopefully be welcoming for players burned out from Hollow Knight's punishment. That all sounds less a curse and more a blessing.

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse releases for Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Xeries X/S, and PC on 15 October.

Inspired? See our picks of the best game development software and the best laptops for game development.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/entertainment/gaming/castlevania-belmonts-curse-is-a-glorious-return-to-the-series-2d-roots-with-a-more-modern-2-5d-aesthetic wnQvNNJtEyDbPRCth7BZBo Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ Designers, do you recognise this old-school equipment? ]]> Design apparatus has changed vastly over the last decades, moving from a physical toolkit to apps in a graphic design laptop. If you're a young designer, you might not recognise a lot of the implements that used to sit atop a designer's desk – which is exactly what is being discussed over on Reddit right now.

In a thread titled "Let's see who the old people are!", user Boudyro has kicked things off by posting a picture of a design tool, prompting others to share their own memories and pictures of more tactile times. "No using the internet to figure it out you whippersnappers!" the OP says.

Let's see who the old people are!
from r/graphic_design

The discussion continued with designers name checking and sharing images of tools from the Proportional Gauge Wheel to the Schaedler Precision Ruler. You can see some examples below (head over to the Reddit thread to read more).

Comment
from r/graphic_design

Redditors also shared stories about the mishaps that would happen when working with the tools – including the risks of spray adhesive and using a press.

"I almost lost the end of my right middle finger in an AB Dick press," one designer shares. "Wasn't paying attention, in it went and stopped the press. It did heal but boy does it sting when I hit it on something."

So let's see – can you identify the kit shared in the thread, and do you remember how to use the tools? Let us know in the comments.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/design/graphic-design/designers-do-you-recognise-this-old-school-equipment 2BKxcRozrCUCkHFQG8eRhX Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:30:00 +0000 Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:39:31 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis's Unreal Engine reimagining looks breathtaking but I'm concerned by some modern design creep ]]> It's been 30 years since Lara Croft made her debut in Tomb Raider, becoming one of the first modern gaming icons, whose popularity has endured. While she's set to get a new TV series played by Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner, what fans really want to mark this milestone anniversary is a new game.

The good news is that we're getting not one but two games, Tomb Raider: Catalyst, expected in 2028, and coming considerably sooner, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a remake of the original 1996 game, with Alix Wilton Regan portraying the titular explorer in both.

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis screenshot — (Image credit: Crystal Dynamics / Flying Wild Hog / Amazon Game Studios )

Given this is actually that game's second remake, following 2007's Tomb Raider: Anniversary, while there was also a recent remaster that let you freely toggle between the low-poly PS1 graphics to updated visuals, it might not sound as exciting a propsect. But after watching a live demo at Gamescom 2026, I can appreciate how Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog are taking the power of Unreal Engine 5 to reimagine Lara's original globetrotting adventure like never before.

The level I get to see is from Ancient Greece, a perfect graphical showcase, which game director Raul Siqueira describes as "very iconic and beloved. It blends the grandeur of an ancient civilisation, with untamed subterranean wilderness. Between the towering pillars, the god ray lights that come from the ceilings into the caverns. There's a lot in the environment that is breathtaking."

Yet even as Unreal Engine 5 means being able to create more realistic environments compared to the simpler boxy designs of the original game, Legacy of Atlantis isn't seeking to make more expansive levels for the sake of it, as Siqueira says the team's intent is to honour the original game while still being able to surprise new and modern players.

"Everything that has been considered has been looked through the lenses of, does this make sense in the original game, rather than putting something cool that's completely unrelated. Respecting the original has always been kind of a North Star."

An early example when exploring these Greek catacombs comes from an encounter with bats, an enemy from the original game. But whereas you would just tackle one, they move around and attack as an unpredictable swarm. So while Lara takes out her trademark dual pistols to shoot at them, you also have to mash the melee button to bat them away (no pun intended).

This level is also famous for its room with the falling swords of Damocles. They're reimagined in more dramatic fashion with a few cutscenes and QTEs to emphasis how large and deadly these ancient objects are as they fall from above and would have no problem impaling our heroine (fortunately, or unfortunately, if you're the sadistic type, the demo of this sequence was played through without any fatal errors).

But as well as walking over pressure plates to trigger these falling swords, a nice touch in this remake is that a more observant player can also shoot them down first if they're in range.

Of course, modern games also have a recurring problem where more realistic and detailed environments can cause readability issues. Often, the solution is a very artificial 'detective' vision, and it seems Legacy of Atlantis has something similar, as Lara can equip a scanner, which will highlight interactable objects as well as provide lore for her to muse on. Siqueira does however describe the scanner as an "opt-in" item, implying it won't be essential for solving puzzles.

But I also had concerns during another combat sequence when Lara is facing a hostile leopard. Evidently, realistic visuals doesn't necessarily mean the gameplay aims to be realistic as well, as Lara has superhuman acrobatics closer to the original game than her more grounded depiction in the modern Survivor trilogy, while she can also dive-roll and cartwheel around to dodge attacks, though these are all faithful to what she can do in the original game. Still, I couldn't get over watching her facing off against the spongiest leopard alive.

While Siqueira jokes that this wild cat had just developed a very thick skin after all this time in Ancient Greece, he adds that the team did choose to emphasise fun over realism in combat. I'm however more wary that it's also a means to make players engage with the game's other modern trappings, including skill trees and a crafting system.

Nonetheless, he does assure me that players who just want to stick to a classic experience would still be possible, though it sounds like it would require further tinkering with accessibility and difficulty settings if you want a more classic style of gameplay where it doesn't feel like you're having to grind through a light RPG that so many modern games are designed to be like.

Despite these concerns aside, Legacy of Atlantis feels like it's going to be a faithful reimagining of a gaming classic, using the power of Unreal 5 to bring a greater grandeur to these ancient, mysterious and deadly locations than ever, while still feeling familiar to the original game's blueprint.

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis launches on 12 February 2027 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC.

In the meantime, check out the behind-the-scenes videos on the making of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/entertainment/gaming/tomb-raider-legacy-of-atlantiss-unreal-engine-reimagining-of-the-iconic-classic-looks-breathtaking-but-im-a-bit-concerned-by-some-modern-design-creep XrhFdHHShUv5FJrPy9ujq3 Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +0000 Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:33:10 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ Move over, Cosmic Orange – iPhone 18 colours just leaked online ]]> The new iPhone 18 colours may have just been confirmed online, thanks to a new X post from serial leaker Sonny Dickson, which was shared in response to a MacRumours report. Following last year’s standout Cosmic Orange was always going to be a high bar, but if this latest photo is any indication, Apple is pivoting in a completely different direction.

The post shows three SIM trays rendered in Silver, Sky Blue, and a rich Dark Cherry. While an earlier tease from Dickson hinted at a classic black option, that unit may have just been an early dummy model (as he suggested to someone questioning in the thread). We'll find out for sure whether these shades are for real when Apple officially reveals the lineup on September 9.

pic.twitter.com/9KJjoiPMbhSeptember 2, 2026

Reactions are mixed online, with some disappointed by the muted tones and others manifesting a black model. Others suggest that there are more important considerations than the colour of the phone – especially as most people will be using a case. But as some of the premium iPhone cases show off parts of the phone with clear sections, the actual phone design can still matter if you want it to.

The real question is, though: will the iPhone 18 be subject to the same scratch issues as the 17? We wait with bated breath.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/design/product-design/move-over-cosmic-orange-iphone-18-colours-just-leaked-online Gn3PXsNBy7H54jFVZuK3oB Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:27:28 +0000 Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:39:55 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ Damn! No sooner had I bought this clever e-ink digital frame, it gets a 25% discount! ]]> I love art, and I think e-ink art frames are the future! I've been cutting out, printing and buying pieces of art, putting them in frames, and sticking them on walls for 20 years now, and a good quality e-ink art frame is a perfect addition to my hobby.

And even though they're not perfect, they are head and shoulders better than the LCD digital frame alternatives. Especially when they look like paper instead of distracting you with their LCD glowing light, have battery lives of up to two years, and blend in with all your other art. Oh, and especially when they're 24% off, as with the SwitchBot AI Art Frame.

I actually own the 13-inch e-ink art frame, and think it's great – that's why I added it to my list of the best e-ink art frames currently on sale.

There's currently 24% off all three sized SwitchBot AI Art Frames, which is pretty great all things considered – unless you literally just bought one before the discount was applied! I think the 13-inch model will be the most popular View Deal

What's so good about e-ink picture frames?

Photos of the SwitchBot AI e-ink picture frame. — Future

The SwitchBot AI Art Frame bridges digital display tech and physical home decor by using a colour e-ink Spectra 6 panel. Available in 7.3-, 13.3-, and 31.5-inches, the frame boasts around 65,000 colours on a glare-free matte surface, with integrated AI tools to generate original artwork or remix personal photos into painted styles (though that will cost you more, and I don't really think it's worth it). Because colour e-paper draws power only when updating the screen, its rechargeable battery lasts up to two years, enabling completely cord-free wall mounting. That's a massive win when you want a clean, realistic art frame on your wall.

In context, the SwitchBot's strengths are ambient integration and power efficiency. It avoids dangling power cables and harsh light pollution, blending into a room way more convincingly than backlit LCD alternatives.

However – and it's a big however – e-ink frames in general are still less than ideal for crisp family photographs due to their slightly muted colours, heavy dithering, and a sluggish 15- to 30-second image refresh (though that last one is nit-picking).

Prices also scale steeply for larger sizes, and heavy use of the built-in AI tools requires a monthly subscription... still, I think they are well worth the price, especially when on discount.

Check out today's best deals on the SwitchBot AI picture frame in your region...

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/tech/damn-no-sooner-had-i-bought-this-clever-e-ink-digital-frame-it-gets-a-25-percent-discount XQwVMX3m5z3yeTEYaBLsrR Wed, 02 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ This 3D artist uses Unreal Engine 5 and Blender to achieve incredible detail in heroic character designs ]]> Andres Zambrano is a US-based 3D artist working in ZBrush, Maya, Substance Painter, Marvelous Designer, Unreal Engine 5 and Blender. He's inspired by heroic figures with a dignified and elegant look, and he believes it's important to achieve a hand-crafted high level of detail on his characters, often with intense, dramatic lighting.

Below, Andres showcases three examples of his work, including his takes on characters from the Bloodborne game by From Software. If you're inspired, check out our guides to the best 3D modelling software and the best laptops for 3D modelling.

Bloodborne Hunter

3D character art showing a heroic fantasy figure with a high level of detail — (Image credit: Andres Zambrano)

“One of my earliest works where I focused on realistically depicting different materials. The main focus here was on the cloth and showing the damage from constant fighting.”

Fantasy Adventurer

“This piece was a way to practice designing my own character using the design language learned from previous characters. This one is a real-time character for Unreal.”

Lady Maria – Bloodborne

“A custom, slightly redesigned version of Lady Maria from Bloodborne. Here I wanted to emphasise more movement and a dramatic angle compared to my previous models.”

You can see more of Andres's work on his ArtStation profile.

This article originally appeared in ImagineFX. Subscribe to ImagineFX to never miss an issue. Print and digital subscriptions are available.

Today's drawing tablet deals

See our guide to the best drawing tablets for more options.

HUION

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XP-Pen

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Updated Deco 01 V3

HUION

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]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/3d/3d-art/this-3d-artist-uses-unreal-engine-5-and-blender-to-achieve-incredible-detail-in-heroic-character-designs AdzyG8Sv34jqxhHJpXZ6Y6 Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ The best TourBox editing consoles: Legit shortcuts to creativity ]]> For those who want to supercharge their editing and design workflow, using a traditional mouse just won't cut it. Even upgrading to the best PC mouse, with their additional wheels and buttons, will only get you so far. For ultimate shortcuts, speed hacks, and editing control, you need a dedicated creative editing console.

These types of consoles are produced by a range of brands, including Logitech, XP-Pen, and Contour, but probably the most prolific is TourBox, which sells not just one but four different devices aimed at different types of users. We've spent time with all four and rated the TourBox Elite Plus best overall and the TourBox NEO best for value.

So, if you own a drawing tablet, or either one of the best laptops for video editing or a 3D modelling laptop, you'll find our guide useful for deciding which is the right console for your specific needs. Whatever your field, one of these TourBox consoles are guaranteed to speed up your workflow.

The best TourBox console overall

01. TourBox Elite Plus

Works on all platforms including iPadOS and Android

Dimensions: 11.5 x 10 x 4.5 cm | Weight: 376g (without batteries) | Connection: Bluetooth, Wired | Compatible software: Windows, macOS, iPadOS, Android

10-second review: The Elite Plus provides a knob, dial, scroll wheel, and buttons to deliver an extensive set of functions. Features haptic touch feedback and can be connected to a number of devices, including computers, iPads, and Android tablets.

Design and performance: The Elite Plus is larger than the Lite and similarly sized to the Elite and NEO alternatives. It's also available in Ice Translucent and Artic finishes, which make it possible to see some of the internal workings. The number of button combos is over 150, with the ability to assign over 400 functions to each preset. The console is easy to set up, a joy to use, and engineered to near perfection. I particularly love the haptic touch feedback provided via the wide-band vibration motor. The haptic strength is also adjustable for users who like to take control of their experience. If you're looking for a console that supports iPadOS or Android, then the Elite Plus is your only TourBox option.

Price: At £297 / $297, the Elite Plus is the most expensive in the full lineup of TourBox consoles, although it's often discounted by as much as £30 / $30. It is one of the most expensive consoles of this type on the market, coming in higher than the MX Creative Console and the Contour Shuttle PRO v2.

The best TourBox console for value

02. TourBox NEO

Relatively basic design but with a lot of the functionality of more expensive models

Dimensions: 11.6 x 10.1 x 4.4 cm | Weight: 370g (without batteries) | Connection: Wired | Compatible software: Windows, macOS

10-second review: The TourBox NEO offers almost everything the Elite and Elite Plus do but without any additional thrills. If you can work with a wired console, don't use a tablet, and can forgo haptic feedback, then the NEO is a very capable controller indeed.

Design and performance: The NEO offers a relatively basic design, but under the hood it's still capable of seriously boosting your productivity. With 150 button combos and over 400 assignable functions, the console is able to embrace even the most complex creative workflows. As is the case with all TourBox consoles, the NEO is compatible with a wide range of software packages, including Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Photoshop, Lightroom, Affinity Designer, and more. The overall design aesthetic is relatively basic but more refined than the Lite, and even though it's workstation compatible only (no tablets), it'll prove a worthy companion for most creatives.

Price: Despite the TourBox Lite being £74 / $74 cheaper than the £169 / $169 price tag of the TourBox NEO, the NEO actually offers superb value for money. The most noticeable difference is the skin-friendly material, which, if you're planning on using the console on a daily basis, will make a significant difference. It also has a lot more button combos and assignable functions.

The best TourBox console for beginners

03. TourBox Lite

Basic and no thrills but still guaranteed to enhance any creative workflow

Dimensions: 11.1 x 10.6 x 3.9 cm | Weight: 329g (without batteries) | Connection: Wired | Compatible software: Windows, macOS

10-second review: The TourBox Lite is a stripped-back, basic version of the other three more expensive TourBox alternatives. The plastic case is nothing to write home about, and there are a reduced number of button combos and assignable functions.

Design and performance: At a weight of 329 g and size of 11.1 x 10.6 x 3.9 cm, the TourBox Lite is the lightest and most compact of all TourBox consoles. In the hand it feels noticeably cheaper, and there's less inherent grip due to the smooth plastic material. The result of all this is that it doesn't sit quite as confidently and solidly on the desk. The most noticeable omission on this controller is that there's no dial which can make precise scrolling and scrubbing a little difficult. The Lite will still free you up from repetitive operations so you can focus on the creative task at hand, but it won't leave you with that premium feeling that the Plus and Elite models do.

Price: The TourBox Lite retails at £94.99 / $94.99, and there are rarely any discounts to make it even more affordable. The price is very similar to the Contour Shuttle PRO v2 and significantly more affordable than the MX Creative Console.

The best TourBox console for workstations

04. TourBox Elite

An affordable premium console for workstation only users

Dimensions: 11.6 x 10.1 x 4.4 cm | Weight: 376g (without batteries) | Connection: Bluetooth, Wired | Compatible software: Windows, macOS

10-second review: The TourBox Elite is a powerful editing controller that offers both wired and wireless options. It is simple to set up, has a solid build quality, and boasts haptic feedback for a superior user experience. The only downsides are that it takes a while to set up personalised presets and there is no battery life indicator.

Design and performance: With a sleek, modern design and an abundance of buttons, the TourBox Elite offers a well-thought-out design that fits perfectly within your hand. The plastic console is sufficiently weighty and features rubber feet to ensure it remains in a single location on your desk. For creatives who work on multiple machines, the Elite is capable of connecting via Bluetooth to two devices simultaneously. Aside from Bluetooth connectivity, the other thing that sets the Elite apart from the two more affordable options in the TourBox range is haptic feedback, which our reviewer said gave it a "more premium feel". We also loved the high level of customisation options and how easy the software and hardware are to use.

Price: The TourBox Elite offers everything the TourBox Elite Plus does but without iPadOS and Android compatibility. So, if your workflow doesn't rely on a tablet, then at £268 / $268, the Elite is the more affordable option.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/entertainment/videography/the-best-tourbox-editing-consoles-weve-tested-them-and-selected-the-best oCcrSsUf6vfQsNctGyw9tX Wed, 02 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ The new Disney World logo design is actually kind of genius ]]> When Disney revealed the logo for its 50th anniversary back in 2019, the response was mixed. It wasn't clear whether the company had deliberately included what looked like a pair of Mickey Mouse ears in the design – but this time, there can be no mistaking the visual pun.

The '55' logo has started appearing on images advertising merch for the Florida destination. And not only is it a delightfully retro reference to the original 'globe' icon from the resort's opening in 1971, but it also features a much more satisfying take on those giant mouse ears.

Disney World logo

The design harks back to the original 1971 Disney World logo (Image credit: Disney)

Yes, in case it isn't blindingly obvious, the rounded bottoms of the two '5's sit like ears atop the retro globe. It's a super simple yet effective design, and it's already winning over Disney fans.

Disney World 50th anniversary logo

It's been much more warmly received than the 50th anniversary logo (Image credit: Walt Disney World)

"Massive improvement over the 50th wow," one X user comments, while another adds, "Absolutely fire logo!'. Another sums up, "How is everything they've released about the 55th so far leaps and bounds better than the 50th?"

Walt Disney World’s 55th Anniversary logo is here, celebrating 55 magical years and honoring the resort’s original icon. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/HnHSUMz9B4August 26, 2026

The logo hasn't been officially announced by Disney, but judging by the early response, it's set to be a winner.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/design/logos-icons/the-new-disney-world-logo-design-is-actually-kind-of-genius 3HQyffmWFczCJu6h535otX Wed, 02 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ Making your own Backrooms in Blender is surprisingly easy ]]> Backrooms was one of the biggest breakthrough movies of the year. With a budget of $10 million, it's gone on to be A24's most successful movie earning over $360 million. Not bad for a project that began as a series of short videos made in the free animation software Blender.

Inspired by the internet legend, director Kane Parsons famously started creating Backrooms videos back in 2022. He was just 16 at that time and learning how to use Blender as he went. You can still watch his original Backrooms films on YouTube.

But just how easy it is to make your own Backrooms in Blender today? Pretty easy, reckons the expert who produced the handy Backrooms tutorial video below. He's outlined a detailed guide to how to create the iconic yellow liminal space.

In the 80-minute tutorial above, Andrew Price AKA Blender Guru shows that making Backrooms in Blender is (relatively) straightforward since it doesn't require modeling or UV unwrapping. Indeed, 90% of the work is achieved with only six nodes.

His step-by-step Backrooms tutorial shows how those endless yellow walls can be built with maths, while the paths are built with textures and the cutouts with cubes. Projection mapping is used to apply textures.

For added polish, lights can be controlled with a slider and RGB curves can be used to apply colour grading. Andrew also uses Blender 5's new film grain to achieve that analogue found-footage look, although he notes that it's best to avoid baking this in if you plan to go on to edit in DaVinci Resolve or any of of the best video editing software.

The Poliigon Blender add-on can be used to make quicker work of adding the yellow wallpaper and carpeted floor more quickly.

The tutorial also runs through importing emission maps, segmenting materials in Geometry Nodes, first renders with Cycles and how to make the corridors longer – more like how they appear in the movie. Andrew also looks at creating random wall cutouts and light panel randomness, linking a shader value to Geometry Nodes and compositing.

If you find your system struggling at any stage of the process, see our guides to the best laptops for animation and the best laptops for video editing. For more inspiration, see our own collection of Blender tutorials.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/3d/making-your-own-backrooms-in-free-3d-software-is-surprisingly-easy 4hoVYM3ThVQHS96fyhXPh4 Wed, 02 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000 Thu, 03 Sep 2026 01:01:07 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ How to draw Sanrio characters like Hello Kitty the easy way ]]> Sanrio is the company behind some of the most iconic Japanese character designs around, from Hello Kitty to Pompompurin and Cinnamoroll. Sony's so envious that it's now trying to take a leap into the market with its Nemu the Night Owl Bear.

If you're interested in creating your own character, or you want to make Hello Kitty fan art, learning how to draw Sanrio characters is the place to start. It can be a fun and relatively simple style to practise because Sanrio's characters often make use of some clear and distinctive anatomy shapes and drawing techniques.

In the video below, our own resident expert Phoebe shows how to draw a Sanrio character, or a character in the style of Sanrio, step by step, from the initial sketch to colouring. To follow along, you'll want some of the best pens for artists and the best markers.

A post shared by Creative Bloq (@creativebloqofficial)
A photo posted by

Phoebe shows that you can draw a Sanrio character style quite quickly if you follow a few tips. Aim for a simple shape and facial anatomy, rounded arms, a thick outline and, of course, a bow.

For more on the basics of drawing, see our how to draw tutorials series. You might also want to check out the best drawing books.

]]> https://www.creativebloq.com/art/character-design/how-to-draw-sanrio-characters-like-hello-kitty-the-easy-way g9TVLPkTx2L8PXJk6HCC2Q Wed, 02 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +0000 false false false <![CDATA[ This city's controversial logo redesign has hit a bum note ]]> From Visalia, California, to Florence, Alabama, many a city authority has suffered the wrath of residents over an unpopular logo redesign. Ultimately, it seems that no piece of graphic design is as sure to get people riled up as an identity for a town or city – particularly after the cost of the rebrand gets out.

Bloomington in Indiana is the latest to discover that, and it's easy to see why the proposed new logo is hitting such a bum note. Once you see the unfortunate resemblance, you can't unsee it.

City of Bloomington logo design before and after

The existing City of Bloomington logo (left) and the new design (right) (Image credit: City of Bloomington)

The City of Bloomington's existing brand identity revolves around a geometric design that resembles a snowflake or floral pattern. Adopted way back in 1986, it was inspired by a combination of a peony and a trout lily, traditional quilt patterns used by regional folk artists in 19th century and the shape of the city''s Downtown Square (which is presumably square).

The new rebrand intends to replace this representation of local tradition with a giant 'B'. The broader brand system includes logos for different city services and departments.

Other logos in the City of Bloomington's new branding systemCity of Bloomington

The logo in useCity of Bloomington

While the new logo might be easier to scale, some residents aren't happy that their square has been replaced with a derriere.

Dave Askins, the editor of local news site B Square Bulletin, puts its bluntly in his op-ed dedicated to the new design. "Proposed new Bloomington logo looks like a butt," reads the headline.

Editor’s note: Proposed new Bloomington logo looks like a butt
from r/bloomington

While the writer praises the attractive colour palette and contemporary sans-serif type and recognises that the "giant geometric 'B' is simple enough to work on a website, a truck, a T-shirt or a sign" while also surviving shrinking to the size of an app icon, he sees the butt resemblance as a gas-tly and insurmountable design oversight.

"The two enormous rounded lobes, pinched together at the center, do not just allow that interpretation. They practically invite it. Add a little puff of air at the point where the two cheeks meet and the logo is transformed into an illustration of Kurt Vonnegut’s famous line: 'We are here on Earth to fart around'.

"Rotate the logo 90 degrees clockwise, and it cannot be denied: It’s the image of someone using the common technique of lifting one butt cheek to quietly release a fart."

City of Bloomington logo design

The proposed new City of Bloomington logo design (Image credit: City of Bloomington logo design)

Dave suggests that any proposed new logo be shown to a focus group of teenagers or elderly men for a quick cheek check, which isn't a bad idea considering some of the design fails we've seen over the years.

Of course, the other bummer with Bloomington's new design compared to the previous identity is the lack of any kind of local significance or personality. A giant 'B' could represent any place, brand or corporation whose name begins with said letter. Dave has points out that existing designs for an app, a law firm and an online boat marketplace all look similar to the proposed logo.

B logos — The B team: the logos of Brilliant Law Firm / Boatseekr.com / Boolo (Image credit: Brilliant Law Firm / Boatseekr.com / Boolo)

"A good city logo does not have to contain the courthouse dome, a limestone block, a bicycle, a tree or any other literal Bloomington symbol. In fact, trying to incorporate any of those iconic references would almost certainly be a mistake. But if the design is going to be abstract, the abstraction still needs enough personality to become unmistakably ours," he argues.

The logo is due to be presented at the City of Bloomington Council's next regular meeting tomorrow (2 September). Some of those attending will presumably want to air their opinions.

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